Ruthenium based metallopolymer grafted reduced graphene oxide as a new hybrid solar light harvester in polymer solar cells.

Vinoth, R.; Ganesh Babu, S.; Bharti, Vishal; Gupta, V.; Navaneethan, M.; Venkataprasad Bhat, S.; Muthamizhchelvan, C.; Ramamurthy, Praveen C.; Sharma, Chhavi; Aswal, Dinesh K.; Hayakawa, Yasuhiro; Neppolian, B.

Abstract

A new class of pyridyl benzimdazole-based Ru complex decorated polyaniline assembly (PANI-Ru) was covalently grafted onto reduced graphene oxide sheets (rGO) via a covalent functionalization approach. The covalent attachment of PANI-Ru with rGO was confirmed from XPS analysis and Raman spectroscopy. The chemical bonding between PANI-Ru and rGO induced the electron transfer from Ru complex to rGO via backbone of the conjugated PANI chain. The resultant hybrid metallopolymer assembly was successfully demonstrated as an electron donor in bulk heterojunction polymer solar cells (PSCs). A PSC device fabricated with rGO/PANI-Ru showed an utmost ~6 fold and 2 fold enhancement in open circuit potential (Voc) and short circuit current density (Jsc), with respect to the standard device made with PANI-Ru (i.e., without rGO) under the illumination of AM 1.5 G. The excellent electronic properties of rGO significantly improved the electron injection from PANI-Ru to PCBM and, in turn, the overall performance of the PSC device was enhanced. The ultrafast excited state charge separation and electron transfer role of rGO sheet in hybrid metallopolymer was confirmed from ultrafast spectroscopy measurements. This covalent modification of rGO with metallopolymer assembly may open a new strategy for the development of new hybrid nanomaterials for light harvesting applications.

Citation

VINOTH, R., GANESH BABU, S., BHARTI, V., GUPTA, V., NAVANEETHAN, M., VENKATAPRASAD BHAT, S., MUTHAMIZHCHELVAN, C., RAMAMURTHY, P.C., SHARMA, C., ASWAL, D.K., HAYAKAWA, Y. and NEPPOLIAN, B. 2017. Ruthenium based metallopolymer grafted reduced graphene oxide as a new hybrid solar light harvester in polymer solar cells. Scientific reports [online], 7, article number 43133. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1038/srep43133

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 19, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Feb 22, 2017
• Publication Date: Dec 31, 2017
• Deposit Date: Oct 24, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 15, 2024
• Journal: Scientific reports
• Electronic ISSN: 2045-2322
• Publisher: Springer
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 7
• Article Number: 43133
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/srep43133
• Keywords: Energy conversion; Ruthenium (Ru); Solar energy
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/2120539